Call Us: 571-388-2885
Follow Us:
  • Arlington & Alexandria Educational Article of the Month - Is it legal for me to trap a skunk?

Is it legal for me to trap a skunk?

Is it legal for me to trap a skunk?

Though it is legal to trap a skunk within your private Virginia residence, however you will need a permission to trap the animal somewhere else. For instance, in the United States where it used to be common for some people to trap Arlington skunks with other dangerous animals such as dogs, the killing of skunks for sports or game , has been out-rightly banned. Even when you trap a skunk within your Alexandria property, it is illegal for you to release the skunk or relocate it somewhere else , while in some other countries, a trapped skunk must be released more than 10 miles far from where it has been captured.

Skunks are normally nocturnal Virginia animals that are mostly active from early evenings to late nights, and they sleep in dens during the day. During the warm summer Arlington months, skunks may prefer to sleep in vegetations, their dens are normally below the ground level but sometimes they may set dens close to the banks of the river, close to streams, and ponds or beneath the porches and lumber piles. They do possess some sharp claws that make it easier for them to dig out insects and their diets are predominantly made of insects, including beetles and worms.

One of the reasons why the hunting or trapping of Virginia skunks have been banned in several countries of the world is that the animals have the potential to spread certain diseases to both humans and animals. Skunks may fall ill when infected with rabies and that can force them to stray. When Alexandria skunks are provoked, they release some obnoxious discharges and odour, they often release this oily substance in self-defense and they can spray the liquid for at least 5 feet away from their position.

While skunks can be trapped and prevented from private properties, the animals must be released within few hours of trapping, far away from a residential Virginia area. According to Virginia laws in the United States of America, you are not expected to release a trapped Arlington skunk around another residential area, however, the animal must be released at least 10 meters away from any Arlington residential region. If the trapped skunk is injured, it must be reported to animal or wildlife conservation agency immediately. In most developed countries, it is prohibited to feed a sick skunk, and the reason being that feeding a skunk an unsuitable diet may aggravate its conditions, therefore it is better to report the animal to Alexandria wildlife treatment center immediately.

To learn more about our services, visit the Arlington & Alexandria wildlife removal home page.

© 2016 Copyright Wildlife Removal Arlington & Alexandria | Call us any time: 571-388-2885 | Web Design by: